To this day, the question of the role of the law of God in the Christian life provokes much debate and discussion. This is one of those points where we can learn much from our forebears, and John Calvin’s classic …Read More

As I read the scriptures, particularly the New Testament, there is a theme that recurs again and again regarding the Christian’s willingness to be in submission to various types of authority. Given the rebellious spirit of our age, that frightens …Read More

Sometimes I like to ask my boys if God can do anything. By now, they understand enough theology to answer that God can do anything He wants to do, or that God can never act against His character. The immutability …Read More

The word religion has fallen on hard times in recent years. Many have tried to pit religion against faith, saying that Christianity isn’t a religion but a relationship. That sounds nice, but that isn’t quite the case. Faith and religion …Read More

At a PGA Tour tournament in October 2015, Ben Crane disqualified himself after completing his second round. He did so at considerable financial cost. No matter—Crane believed the personal cost of not doing it would be greater (encouraged by a …Read More

Steering a course between the Scylla (rocks) of antinomianism on the one hand and the Charybdis (hard place) of legalism on the other is an unceasing responsibility of the Christian life. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that most …Read More

I do not, in the least, disagree with the editors’ decision this month to address a series of hard sayings of Jesus. In fact, I think it a good decision. Years ago, when I was actively involved in planning Renewing …Read More

The disciples of Jesus, like their Jewish contemporaries, believed that when the Messiah came, he would come as the “Prince of Peace,” bringing political freedom and material prosperity (Isa. 9:6–7; Zech. 9:10). Moreover, Jesus taught them that peacemakers were indeed …Read More

Jesus was severe with the Pharisees, calling them “whitewashed tombs” (Matt. 23:27), “hypocrites” (Mark 7:6), and sons of the devil (John 8:44). And yet, in Matt. 5:20, He points to them as He raises the bar for righteousness: “For I …Read More